Resource Wars
The Resource Wars were a series of largely unrelated military conflicts that took place between 2052 and 2077, in response to the energy crisis of the late 21st century. The conflict would eventually prove to be the largest and most destructive in human history, eventually resulting in a nuclear exchange that destroyed most of the world. Middle Eastern War Background Unlike the largely energy independent nations of the United States and China, the European Commonwealth relied heavily on Middle Eastern petroleum imports by the 21st century. By the 2040s, peak oil had been reached, and many oil producing nations had no choice but to massively increase the cost of their exports. This put a large strain on the European economy, and in major cities like Berlin, Paris and London, it wasn't uncommon to see completely desolate stretches of highway, as their citizens turned to public transportation. In response to the growing threat of European aggression, several Arab states in the Middle East formed the United Arab Coalition, resulting in the unification of the participating members' various militaries. With the combined economic might of the oil-producing states, the UAC forces underwent a rapid modernization between 2048 and 2051, purchasing many new weapons and technologies from the Soviet Union, China, and even the United States. Outbreak of Hostilities In December of 2051, representatives from the middle eastern oil-producing states walked out on talks with the European Commonwealth. Over the course of the next two months, the UAC member states began closing their European embassies, and recalling their own ambassadors from the European nations. When the United Nations proved completely ineffective and mediating the conflict, relations between Europe and the Middle East completely broke down. On April 3, 2052, the Commonwealth Armed Forces were mobilized for the first time in their century-and-a-half of existence, and the member states each officially declared war on the UAC member states. The European Expeditionary Forces, led by Marshal Cornelius Nottingham of the British Army, launched a major offensive into Turkey (An oil-producing ally of the UAC), while a massive aerial invasion of Egypt was attempted in order to secure the Suez Canal. On April 5, Israel entered the war on the side of the European armies, with the Israeli Defense Forces invading the Sinai peninsula. This outraged the non-Arab states of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, who responded by declaring war on Israel and the Commonwealth. Initial Gains As the joint British-Israeli forces closed in on Cairo, President Mohammad al-Sharaff was forced to abdicate and flee the country. The Treaty of Tel-Aviv was signed, in which Egypt was to be occupied by the British Army, while Israel would annex the Sinai as their own. The Egyptian government was also forced to sign a 99 year long lease of the Suez Canal to the British government. Despite heavy loss of life on the eastern front, the Turkish government fell a week later, as the German Fifth Armored division overpowered the Turkish Army in Ankara. It looked to many Europeans that the war would be a brief one, and the slogan "Be home by Christmas" became popular among European soldiers. Stalemate As European troops entered marched onward, they were met with fierce resistance from the Arab armies. Before long, the European advances had been halted, especially as troops from Iran and Central Asia arrived to assist the Arab forces. By July, the Syrian front had become engulfed in trenches and barbed wire, as the opposing armies dug in, while European troops to the south were pushed out of Saudi Arabia, back into Egypt. By the time autumn rolled around, the earlier hopes of being "home by Christmas" slowly became nothing more than wishful thinking. Fall of Mecca In February of 2053, the European armies in the west finally managed to break through the Arab lines, launching a multi-pronged offensive into Jordan and Saudi Arabia. This offensive proved to be much bloodier than the first; at the Battle of Al Jafr, more soldiers were killed in three hours of combat than at the D-Day invasion a century earlier. In the end, it all paid off, however, as European and Israeli troops entered the holy city of Mecca that June. The presence of the non-Muslim troops in Mecca caused an uproar across the Islamic world. Many European Muslims took to the streets in protest, often resulting in violent clashes with the police and accusations of treason. On December 5, a militant group of pro-Arab Palestinian radicals detonated a low-yield atomic bomb in Tel Aviv, Israel, much to the horror of the world... Nuclear Exchange In response to the destruction of Tel Aviv, the European Commonwealth authorized the use of atomic weapons. Israeli bombers detonated atomic devices over the cities of Damascus, Tehran, Riyadh, Baghdad and Beruit, while the French used neutron bombs with the hope of breaking Arab lines. Iran and Pakistan responded by detonating atomic bombs over the European held cities of Cairo, Alexandria, Tabuk and Izmir. In addition to the millions killed by the blasts, radioactive clouds engulfed the middle east, making thousands of civilians and troops on both sides ill with radiation poisoning and cancer. Almost as quickly as it had started, the nuclear exchange ended when it was discovered that it had given neither side a distinct advantage. The Black Summer After two years of bloody stalemate, the European forces finally broke through the Saudi defenses with the arrival of cutting edge mechanized infantry. Not willing to let their resources fall into the enemy's hands, the Saudi troops initiated a "scorched-earth" policy, setting their oil fields ablaze as they retreated to the south. As hundreds of petroleum fields burned, smoke drifted high into the atmosphere, blocking out the sun over large parts of central Asia, the Soviet Union and China. The "Black Summer", as it came to be known, actually referred to the period between May 2056 and November 2057 during which many crops across the affected areas began to die out, leading to massive food shortages, particularly in China. The End of the War Finally in 2060, the war between the European Commonwealth and the UAC. However, the end of the war would prove to be another worthless achievement between the two political bodies, as they had lost so much. While the two countries had been fighting each other, both had been successfully their own resources to fight for resources. So when the oil derricks stopped running in the Middle East, both countries withdrew. The UAC quickly dissolved back into its members normal states, and they went back to fighting almost immediately over the irradiated land that each claimed was theirs. The European Commonwealth suffered the same fate. During the war, the massive loss of life and the nuclear exchange between the two warring nations began to show scars in the EC's system. And with the lack of resources for each of the nations, a idea that the European Commonwealth had promised, the former members exited the Commonwealth and began to fight their own territorial wars. Sino-American War